Hazleton Fire Chief Warns Residents to Buy Carbon Monoxide Detectors

HAZLETON -- Hazleton's fire chief wants all citizens to be sure they have a working carbon monoxide detector in their home.

Over the weekend, a man from Hazleton died inside his home from carbon monoxide poisoning. Firefighters said he fell asleep after leaving his car running in his garage.

"People's furnaces, you know, they don't get them cleaned," Humboldt Industrial Supply Hardware Store employee Tyler Witner said. "That's the main reason usually. It's usually not people falling asleep in their cars."

Hazleton's Fire Chief Donald Leshko said this is the first carbon monoxide death he's had in his 12 years as chief. He sent a notice out to all the city's residents warning them to make sure they have working carbon monoxide detectors.

"Carbon monoxide is odorless. It's tasteless. It's colorless," Chief Leshko said. "So, you don't really even know you have it in your house."

Now that we're in the colder months of the year, the chief said you need to have your heating units serviced to make sure they are working properly and that there are no chimney blockages that would cause carbon monoxide to form. He recommends you purchase a carbon monoxide detector for every floor of your home.

Employees at the Humboldt Industrial Supply Hardware store said they have a lot of people coming in to buy them.

"A lot of the apartment buildings, the maintenance workers, even the tenants come in," Witner said. "They always have to make sure they're up to date."

Carbon monoxide detectors cost about $20-$30. The chief said they're worth every penny.